Chapter Thirteen
Machu Picchu to Valparaiso, Chile
From Machu Picchu I travelled to Cuzco, ex-capital of the Inca civilisation. There were notably two capitals, the other was Cajamarca, located in the north of Peru. From these two capitals the Incas ruled diligently, until 1532 with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro. In terms of conquest their arrival was a timely one as the Incas were left severely weakened after a civil war between rival groups belonging to the two sons (Huáscar and Atahualpa) of the previous emperor (Huayna Capac) fought over future control of the empire. Apart from some walls of Inca origin there was not much to be seen of the original Inca architecture. Nearby, just above the town however, are the interesting ruins of the Inca fortress, Sacsayhuayman, where huge boulders, some five metres high, are fitted together in finely moulded intricate patterns! These massive boulders were hauled by workers from a quarry fifty kilometres away! At Cuzco, I found a convent whose nuns offered shelter and security. This hospitality was greatly appreciated and allowed me, therefore, to wander freely around the many interesting streets and alleyways of Cuzco without pre-occupying myself over the security of the van. Cuzco is an attractive Spanish colonial town with arched buildings in the central plaza whose facades support ornately carved wooden verandahs. The colonially landscaped Plaza is dominated by the carved sandstone facade of a beautiful church.
The road from Cuzco to Arequipa was a long dusty trail over
rugged mountain passes and arid landscapes, with lofty snow-capped peaks in the
background. There were few towns and almost no service stations. Consequently,
when I found gasoline at a rest stop, I had to pump it out by hand from a
forty-four gallon drum! One sensed the isolation here in this elevated and
remote mountain region. It would not have been pleasant to break down along this
lonely desolate road. Sometimes I saw trucks broken down along the side of the
road and felt relieved to know that it wasn't my van, although occasionally, I
did have my share of mechanical problems. It's par for the course really! But
routine servicing and maintenance can avoid most problems.In Arequipa I wandered around the historical streets and
visited the central plaza awhile before driving to the coast where I proceeded
north along the coastal road, the Pan-American Highway. Once again the waves of
the Pacific Ocean were my companion, the panorama of an azure-blue seascape
changing constantly on my left and the wide open expanse of dry desert landscape
on my right. As in Australia and Africa, the western side of these three
continents have similar geographical features, that is to say all have deserts
on their western sides. This is due to the cold currents that flow northwards
from the Southern Ocean. In South America's case it is the Humboldt Current
which cools the winds that blow across it from the land. Except for a foggy
mist, little or no precipitation occurs along this coastal belt, hence the
reason for the dry Atacama desert. The coastal plain in Peru and in the northern
half of Chile are part of this extensive desert. Consequently, while I was
travelling north almost as far as the border to Ecuador, I saw very little
vegetation. Most of the fishing villages were located near a river mouth where
some water was available for growing crops.The only large city in Peru was Lima, its capital, with a
continuously growing population of over five million people. Many peasants from
the country who now have access to TV and radio believe that work opportunities
would be easier in the city and believe also that they would have a better
quality of life. However they become sadly disappointed when they find the exact
opposite. Most live in hovels at the edge of the city using any available
material for housing. Occasionally powerful desert winds bring dust storms that
blow through the shanty villages causing havoc and making life extremely
difficult for these poor people.Lima was, however, an important Spanish colonial city
situated on the route where silver was transported from Bolivia to Panama. Many
of the fleets laden with silver sailed to Callao, Lima's port, for replenishment
of supplies. Needless to say some of the wealth was requisitioned by the viceroy
and other rich merchants who lived in Lima during this period and which
ultimately helped provide a lavish lifestyle. Lima's principal cathedral in the
central plaza and many of the city's fine colonial buildings testify to this
immense wealth.While in Lima, I visited the VW workshop and spoke to the
Manager of VW Peru who agreed to repair the engine mounts and service the van.
During my four day visit to this city I was invited to stay at the manager's
family residence. He told me that guerillas were constantly blowing up several
of the power poles near the city and each time they needed to be repaired for
the city to have power. Electricity was severely rationed therefore. Each night
when we arrived at his house, we would not know whether we would be eating cold
sandwiches or a hot meal. Likewise with the hot water facilities for showers and
washing, etc. Not a pleasant state of existence!I was therefore relieved to be out of this city and back on
the road, again travelling north and again with the desert on my right and the
ocean on my left. My intention was to go to Cajamarca, the other Inca capital.
However when I left the coastal road and entered the mountains, I came across
part of the road covered in deep muddy water which I was unable to pass through.
Knowing that I was tantalising close to Cajamarca, I felt disappointed that I
had to turn around at this point. Yet there were more mountains ahead probably
with greater obstacles! If this particular obstacle confronted me at the
beginning of the mountains, what lay further ahead? Besides I felt quite
satisfied having driven the two thousand kilometre journey along the coast of
Peru and I knew as well, that I had to return along that same stretch of road in
order to go further south along the Pan-American Highway and into Chile.
felt no need to go further north to drive the few remaining kilometres to the Ecuadorian border as there was still more desert to cross and
besides I had visited Ecuador before while on a modelling assignment. I
back-tracked the two thousand kilometres along the coast again, now with the
ocean on my right and the desert on my left. The constantly changing panorama
made it a pleasant drive however. I continued south along the highway and
crossed over the border and into Chile before arriving at Arica, the northern
most town of the country.Chile extends 2,650 miles (4,265 kilometres) in length north
to south, as far as the southernmost tip of South America. The country's width
though is 225 miles ( 362 kilometres) at its widest point. The Chilean Andes
mark the eastern border with Argentina. The geographical and climatical changes
that occur are probably more varied in this country than in any country on
earth. I drove the first two thousand kilometres through the Atacama Desert, one
of the driest deserts on earth.Along the way I came across a small village, popular for
travellers, called San Pedro de Atacama. The landscape changed dramatically near
this Indian village (the lunar landscape of the Valley of the Moon was located
near here) located high up on the altiplano with the Andes Cordillera and
several volcanic peaks in the background. During my brief stay here I
experienced first-hand, a desert sandstorm which blew its fury all day long. No
matter how many windows were closed and where one went to escape its wrath, the
fine dust managed to penetrate all obstacles and covered everything in its path
with a fine layer of dust. In the village, I was fortunate to have met a local
Indian who invited me to go horse-riding with him the following day out into the
desert. Nearby were the ruins of an old Indian adobe village that he wanted to
show me. I was eager to see these ruins and after a pleasant morning's ride, we
came across shards of broken pottery, etc. which eventually led us to the
remains of the old village where only adobe walls remain. Never having studied
archaeology I was unable to estimate the age of these unique ruins, but
appreciated the opportunity to view its mystery. The ride back however was
beginning to have some effect on my posterior as I hadn't been used to this kind
of wear and tear on my backside for quite some time. The desert heat, combined
with a saddle soreness not felt for a long time, certainly had a disquieting
effect on me. It was a relief once again to arrive back at the village for
another magnificent sunset vista over the glorious mountain panorama.
Towards La Serena the vegetation showed signs of life with
the desert landscape producing various colours of green ever more frequently.
Just north of this town were the ESO (European Space Observation) telescopes
located high up in the Andes Mountains. The clear mountain air enables
scientists who come from all over the world, to study and observe astronomy with
minimal pollution. Along this road, at late evening, I had another experience
that could have terminated my existence quite suddenly and remarkably; with the
speed of a pirate's cutthroat. While driving along a dark deserted road, I
noticed in the distance, the headlights of a stationary car on my side of the
road. As I pulled up to inquire what he was doing on my side of the road, a
goods train showing no lights at all, rumbled noisily across the road
immediately in front of me! Had the car been on its side of the road, I would
have proceeded without stopping, directly in the path of the oncoming train! And yet another lesson for the intrepid adventurer!!
I continued travelling along the coastline,
stopping to visit Viña del Mar, the well-to-do beach resort for Chileans desiring summer
sunshine. I then drove to Chile's principal port, Valparaiso, where I visited an
interesting museum, namely an old mansion that belonged to an Englishman, Lord
Cochrane. He was a fiery temperamental but talented British admiral who was
unable to conform to British Admiralty standards. He was invited to Chile to
participate in its independence fight with Spain. As an admiral in charge of
Chile's naval forces he was able to direct sea battles which were to have a huge
effect on the overall outcome of the long struggle, eventually leading to
Chile's independence in 1818 when the Generals Bernardo O'Higgins and San
Martín with their armies, defeated the royalist Spanish forces at Chacabuco and
Maipo River. O'Higgins became Chile's first dictator President. In 1820
Cochranes' naval ships transported the General San Martín and his army to Peru.
They were eventually to meet up with the forces of General Simon Bolivar.
Together these armies were instrumental in the fight against the Spaniards. As a
result of these battles Peru was eventually to gain its independence in 1821.